The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-04-02
Opposed to a New Court House.
SUGARTowN, March %, 1887.


supper country Farmers are busy
putting in their crops, and as the
weather has been remarkably favora-
bic, they are well up with their work.
I notice in the Echo occasionally a
desire expressed foranew Court House
as an ornament to the town, and for
more room aud convenience Of the
officials, etc. Now, glory in the
material improvement, uphuilding and
advancement of Lake Charles but we
believe in advancement forward and
not backward; we believe in the sub
stance and not the shadow. If the
people of that town want fine Court
House to adorn the place and to air
themselves in, they arc at perfect lib
erty to put their hands in their own
pockets and build as many ornamental
structures to crafty their vanity as
they please. We object to taking the
money of others to build Court Houses
for ornamental purposes, when We al
ready have very good structure, and
which answers every purpose. If our
officers have grows so fat and corpu-
lent from increased salaries that tbey
hayn't room to turn round, they have
a remedy without taking the money
of the narish for their eonyeniance.
tbcv can stem down and ont and rive
room for mon Of less cornoreal dimen.
sions Donbtlcss somo one wants an
other fat lob for building 4 five or six
Thousand dollar Court House under a
fifteen or twenty tbousand dollar con.
tract Like our iail a lob that no
private individual would have accepted
at five or six thousand dollars costing
the parish nearly three times that
amount.
If Lake Charles would advance her
real and permanent interests. let her
bush her prattlo about building orna.
mental Court Houses. and talk about
her public roads leading to and from
that town. Give us roads so that peo-
pie can get to the town, before talking
about ornamenting it at public OK,
pense. Our public roads arc dis
grace to apy civilized community. and
IN almost any other State thew would
be abated as public uuIsances. No
wonder that one of our leading citi-
s who attended the late Interstate
ayention, at Lake Charles, exclaimed
his return that he was convinced
m what he had seen and heard that
are fifty years behind the times,
en- he was as fully convinced that
live in the garden spot Of tEs
aited States. received a letter
,ury a few days since rom a ma
lava. asking me fifteen ouestion
regard 10 the resources conyenie
COS and productions Of this countrV
with a view 70 settling here, and oil
of the questions was, "How are you
roads v
we are Wiling 70 De ta1oa 70 MAJ
sarv and ;mnortant and GOOD roa5s
are more essential and important than
any other improvement. Lake Charles
is not all OF Calcasleu PARISH and II
she Wouia auy"nco t Ivrwa,u s .p anu nos
gnnlI cost ~ hn;lJ a fno Conrt Housc
to be used in building good turnpike
roads leading from that place to all
the important points in the parish, SO
Ina1 Peopso eau lesSn ~ su9 .o"n wv .,','s,, VII
,Ha Iev'note - narmanant nroSresa
Building a Court House under pres
ent circumstances and condition Of af-
FAIRS IN this parish, would DC liKe
uIa" % pu.''"s ~ d sL hne oe"Foi nav a. "un' WI"
Give us needed imnrovements 6rst.
and the ornamental will come in their
proper place. A. SEVERANCE.
We agree, in the main, with our
Sugartown correspondent, Mr., Sever
ance, as to the utility of having good
roads leading from Lake Charles
throughout the parish, and fully rec
ogpizo that such would be Of healcul-
able convenience to the travelling pub
lie, and of great benefit to the town. as
IT would place US ~ easy cemmahlc"-
ton with important agricultural poinlS
IL the parish tha1 arc a. present lSSo-
lated and whose trade IS or'Ve" ron
our town owing TO the present 'eiap-
dated condition Of our Paollo roads,
But We cannot agree win MN ss ~
CARDS the conft House Inc present
Court House as Is well koown' 's en-
tirely too small for the increasing oas.
mess that comes up at every term 81
court, and causes great inconvenience,
both to litigants and tessummoned
to bo present as jurors and Witnesses,